Tie, joint and rail fastening combination



July 14, 1 931. w. F. WALKER TIE, JOINT, AND RAIL FASTENING COIIBINATIONFiled. March 21, 1930 s Sheets-Sheet 1 w R QMQ hm. \.M A \h m E x N 9 @wkw \M m \QMWUA DAHQN m 2 RN M Q Walii'elg 7 July 14, 1931. w. F. WALKER.TIE, JOINT, AND RAIL FASTENING COMBINATION :s Sheets-Shef 2 Filed March21, 1930 mm Qwmm mm Sm m mmww m N QW Qhww llillnll an flmwu July 14,1931. w. F. WALKER 1,314,199

- TIE, JOINT, AND RAIL FASTENING COMBINATION Filed March 21, 1930 :sSheets-Sheet a Gum/"@133.

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Patented July 14, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIS'F. WALKER,OFFIAGUNGIE, PENNSYLVANIA Application filed March 21, 1930. Serial No.437,886.

This invention aims to provide in combination, an improved fastening,joint, and insulation for a railroad rail, and to improve suchstructures generally. A mechan- .5 ic, working within the scope of whatis claimed, can make changes without depart ing from the spirit of theinvention.

Figure 1 is a plan; Figures 2, and 3, are sections on the lines 22 and33 of Fig- 1c ure 1; Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 1; FigureG is a sectionon the line. 6-6 of Figure 1; Figure 7 is a plan showing theconstruction used at,

F curves; Figure 8 is a perspective showing one of the insulatingplates; Figure 9 is a perspective showing another insulating plate;Figure 10 is a perspective of the shoe; Figure 11 is a perspective ofthe keeper; Figure 12 is a fragmental top plan of the tie; Figure 13 isa cross section of one of the sleeves.

The tie 1 is made up of I-beams 2 united by any desired number ofseparators 3, which are inverted channels, having their downwardlyextended flanges connected by securing elements 4 to the I-beams. Thespace between the I-beams 2 is filled with cement 5, but there areopenings 6 through the cement, under the rails 7. A plate 8 ofinsulating material goes under the rails 7 at the ties, and eachinsulating plate has a vertical flange 9 provided with a lip 10, theedge of the flange of the rail fitting under the lip 10, as shown inFigure 5. A steel shoe 11, in the form of a plate, lies between theinsulating member 8 and the top of the tie 1 and has a flange 12 thatlies against the outer surface of the flange 9 on the insulating plate.A vertical keeper 14, preferably made of steel, fits against the flange12 of the shoe 11 and has a lip 15 that overhangs the lip 10 of theinsulating plate. The keeper 14; has a notch or seat 16 in its loweredge and into this notch or seat the upper edge of the tie 1 fits.

On straight track, diagonally opposite retainers 17 are provided andhave lugs 18 (Figure 5) that extend down on the sides of the tie l. Theintermediate portions 19 of it being a matter.

the tops of the retainers'press against the parts 15 of the keepers 14.The sides of the retainers 17 extend beyond the top flanges oi theI-bean1s 2 and receive the ends of U- shaped hitch bolts 20 mounted inholes 21 inthe webs of the I-beams 2.

The holes 21 are reinforced at 22. The retainers 17 are hollow, as shownin Figure 5 and have seats 24* in their tops to receive the tapered end25 of nuts 23 threaded on the arms of the hitch bolts 20. When the nuts23 are tightened down, the retainers 17 will spring-enough to lettheparts19 of the retainers bear yieldably in the positions shown in Figure5, security being afforded, but a rigid track construction beingavoided, of common knowledge that absolute rigidity in trackconstruction is undesirable. On curves, additional retainers, marked bythe numeral 26 in Figure 7 may be used to supplement the two diagonallydisposed retainers of Figure 1.

At the joints, bridge bars fit in the channels formed by the balls, thewebs, and the flanges of the rails 7. The bridge bars can be reversed,both end for end, and on a longitudinal axis. Insulating plates 27 areprovlded and have wings 28 and 29 arranged at an angle to each other.The flanges 29 extend between the bridge bars 30 and the web of therail." The wings 23 lie between the ball of the rail 7 and the upperedge of the bridge bars 30, and between the flange of the rail and thelower edge of the bridge bars,.as shown in Figure 5. Between the upperand lower insulating plates 27 are located longitudinally splitinsulating sleeves 31 extended through holes 32 in the web of the rail7.

Fastening bolts 33 go through the holes 34 of the bridge bars 30 andthrough the split sleeves 31, the bolts being reduced at 35 to formshoulders 36 for the ends of the sleeves 31. The heads 37 of the boltsare received in trough-shaped insulating memagainst the bridge bars 30,

bers 38 abutting the bridge bars having seats 39 for the reception ofthe tapered ends $0 of the nuts 41 that are threaded on the bolts 33.Between the abutting ends of the rails 7 may 1 posed between be placedplates of insulation shown at 42 in Figures 3 and 4.

The combination shown in the drawings causes the rails to become, inpractice, continuous girders of substantially uniform strength, lowjoints being done away with. Provision is made for heavy traffic at highspeed, both on straight track and on curves, and will permit theoperation of trains'at a speed hitherto regarded as prohibitivelydangerous, high speed being maintained easily, because locomotives willbe given greater tractive power. The cost of operation and maintenancewill be cut down greatly, compared with the ordinary wooden crosstieconstruction, and the structure forming the subject matter of thisapplication will cost about the same per mile as the old-time wooden tieconstruction.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a deviceof the class described, a rail including a ball, a web and a flange,bridge bars on opposite sides of the web and having transverse openings,insulating plates disposed in upper and lower pairs, the upper pairhaving outwardly extended flanges disposed between the ball of the railand the upper edge of the bridge bars, the lower pair having outwardlyextended flanges disposed between the flange of the rail and the loweredge of the bridge bars, securing elements passing through the openingsof the bridge bars and through the openings of the web of the rail, thesecuring elements having reduced intermediate portions definingshoulders located within the openingsof the bridge bars and spaced fromboth the inner and the outer surfaces of the bridge bars, and splitsleeves of insulating material around the securing elements and locatedbetween the shoulders, the sleeves extending through the rail andbetween the upper and lower pairs of insulating plates, the outer endsof the sleeves being located within the openings of the bridge bars inspaced relation to both the inner and outer surfaces of the bridge bars.

2. In a device of the class described, a rail including a ball, a weband a flange, bridge bars on opposite sides of the web and havingtransverse openings, insulating plates disposed in upper and lowerpairs, the upper pair having outwardly extended flanges disthe ball ofthe rail and the upper edge of the bridge bars, the lower pair havingoutwardly extended flanges disposed between the flange of the rail andthe lower edge of the bridge bars, securing elements passing through theopenings of the bridge bars and through the flange of the rail, andsleeves of V insulating material around the securing elements, thesleeves extending through the rail and between the upper and lower pairsof insulating plates,

the outer ends of the sleeves being located within the openings of thebridge bars, in spaced relation to both the inner and outer surfaces ofthe bridge bars, and means for holding the sleeves against longitudinalmovement on the securing elements, with open spaces between the ends ofthe sleeves and the outer surfaces of the bridge bars.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature.

WILLIS F. WALKER.

